Prélude
by fiesa
Summary: Sometimes a meeting's just a meeting. Other times, it's a prelude. Ten ways for two paths to cross.


**Prélude**

_Summary: Sometimes, a meeting's just a meeting. Other times, it's a prelude. 10 ways for two paths to cross.  
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_Warning: AU-ishness, fractured, pairing Rese/Cass, as usual, and some unusual ones as well!^^ X. is for Snowlia because she loves the Mortal Instruments, too. (Crossover with the Mortal Instruments series.)  
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_Set: Pre-story_

_Disclaimer: Standards apply_

_Oh yeah - Happy Easter Holidays!  
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* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong>

"Who are you?"

The girl is barely seven years old and she stares at him with something that may be hostility. Cassidy isn't sure how to react to such a greeting. He shifts uncomfortably.

"I'm Cassidy."

The girl has black hair and dark eyes and she's wearing wariness like a blanket. He wishes he knew the reason for her dislike but as it is he can just remain polite and try to find out why she obviously hates him even though it's the first time they meet. She'll be one of his Clave siblings he figures since she's here in this house Teacher brought him.

"What's your name?"

She still doesn't answer, only musters him darkly. Then, on a sudden, she turns away and marches off into the direction of the house. He follows her.

"Hey!"

The girl walks right through the open kitchen door and into the living-room where the dark-skinned boy is still sitting. He looks up. _Terrance,_ Cassidy remembers.

"Hey, Resa, what's the matter?"

She ignores him and runs up the stairs. Terrance glances at Cassidy apologizing.

"I'm sorry. Teresa can be difficult sometimes."

So that's her name. Cassidy sighs and sits down and wonders what he has done to make her angry without ever having seen her before.

* * *

><p><strong>II.<strong>

The Scoring is nearing its end.

Teresa stands on the platform, waiting for her opponent, and tries to remember what Ten told her: _Stay calm, don't overreact, keep your guard up. You can win this._ Of course she can, she is one of Daemon's best students and one of the best hunters of her age. She has graduated with top grades, her fighting style is efficient and she hasn't lost a match before. She'll do this. With this victory, she'll have won the Scoring.

"The finalists are Teresa of Daemon's Clave and Cassidy of Theo's Clave!"

The voice of the referee cuts through the noise of the crowd. A lean hunter climbs the platform. He has red and golden hair and incredibly green eyes and for a second she stares at him without noticing that she's making a fool of herself. Then she realizes and blood floods her face. Ten nudges her from behind the ropes that limit the fighting arena.

"_Concentrate!"_

Her opponent – Cassidy – smiles at her. He really _smiles_ and she feels like she blushes even more. She beats herself on the inside for her stupidity. _Now he'll think I'm easy prey._ She rights herself and squares her shoulders and barely listens while the referee explains the rules. Green eyes sparkle over the rim of his glasses as he takes her in. She, too, tries to evaluate him: he's thin and muscular, probably quick and able. If he made it into the finals that means he's intelligent, too. She'll have to be careful.

"Are you ready?"

She nods.

"Fight!"

He's the hardest opponent she ever had.

Their fight ends after thirty minutes and twenty-six seconds and marks a new record in the Hunter Annals for its length. And it ends in a _draw._ Embarrassed, Rese stomps down the stairs of the arena, furiously ignoring her bruised ribcage, the hurt in her shoulder and a probably broken wrist. The audience is still applauding, screaming and shouting but there's nothing she's proud of. She hasn't won so she lost. Ten pulls her to the side and Terrance checks her wrist and Jay laughs and talks and she still can't hear anything because she sees Cassidy walking towards them, a smile on his face that sports a seriously ill-looking bruise. He limps a bit, as well, and he holds his left arm awkwardly. He hasn't gotten away better than her.

"Congratulations," he says and smiles and her heart slams against her ribs painfully. "That was one of the best fights I ever had. Would you care sparring with me from time to time? It's hard finding good opponents."

She isn't sure whether she should smile or scowl.

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong>

"I don't think this is a good idea, Rese," Ronee said as she followed her twin sister across the graveyard. "Don't you remember Miss T. warning us there were hunters on their way these nights?"

"Forget Miss T., I just want to show you something, okay? We won't be caught by hunters, don't worry. And it's nothing that might hurt the treaty, I promise!"

The two weirn sisters moved across the graveyard silently.

"I have a bad feeling," Ronee whispered. Her astral, black and white, mirrored her worry. Teresa's astral seemed equally insecure.

"Ron, where did you lose your sense of adventure?" Her sister scolded but smiled. "Listen, I'm sure you'll like it. It's worth it, definitely, and we'll leave immediately after seeing it, okay?"

"Okay, okay."

Together, they crossed the dark grounds until they reached a little crypt. Rese pulled Ronee towards the stairs and into the dilapidated grave. Darkness fell on them suddenly and Ronee stopped dead.

"What… Oh _wow_!"

She stared in awe. Teresa smiled. "I told you it was worth it!"

"It absolutely is."

All around them, fireflies were drawing pictures into the nightly darkness. And in the middle of the building, a beautiful flower rose.

"A night lily! Wow! How did you find it?"

Rese didn't get a chance to answer. Light shone through the entrance they had used seconds before and the fireflies whirled away in an unreadable pattern. Both sisters stared at the entrance, temporarily blinded by the light. Ronee grabbed Rese's hand the same time Rese searched for hers.

"Little weirn!" An ethereal voice said. "And their astrals clearly visible. How cute!"

Four hunters stood in the entrance, black silhouettes against the dark night sky. As Ronee's and Rese's night-vision adjusted, their appearances became clearly visible. The one who had spoken had orange, long hair. There was a girl, too, her hair of almost the same color, and two other boys: one dark-skinned and tall, one with red-golden hair and glasses.

"What are you doing here?" The first demanded.

"Jay, wait," the ginger-haired boy cut off his comrade. "They were only looking at the night lily. They're not breaking the treaty. Let them be."

"Oh," the other boy sighed, clearly disappointed. "I had hoped this patrol wouldn't turn out as boring as the last one."

"You're scaring them," the dark-skinned hunter said. Rese found her voice again.

"We're not afraid of you!"

The orange-haired boy grinned at her. "There's no need to fear our almightiness as long as you value the treaty."

"The fact that you're the law doesn't give you the right to be an ass!" she shot back and gripped Ronee's hand tighter. The boy's grin vanished.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me!"

"Rese, let's go!" Ronee said and tugged at her hand. Rese glared at her opponent. He glared right back. The ginger-haired boy intervened, coming to stand right between them.

"Come on, calm down, both of you. No need to fight. You two, weirn, you better leave."

"We've got names!" Rese hated to be talked down to. She let go of Ronee's hand and folded her arms in front of her chest.

"So?" The hunter asked.

"You first."

"Cassidy. And this are Jay, Terrance and Nadya."

"Teresa and Ronee."

"You shouldn't have brought your sister here, Teresa. There have been rumors of rippers in this area."

"And you're going to fight them, or what?"

The boy smiled. He didn't look older than her, maybe thirteen. When he smiled he looked like a normal person, not like a hunter. He looked nice.

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>IV.<strong>

"Cass, this is Teresa."

Cassidy turned to the girl that stood at Terrance's side. She was tall and lean and had dark, long hair and equally dark eyes. Quickly, he wondered where she was from – her chocolate-cream-colored skin gave her away but wasn't as dark as his best friend's – and then smiled at her guardedly.

"Hey, Teresa. Nice to meet you."

Terrance grinned. "No need to worry. She's a hunter, too."

Teresa snorted. "Not that he hasn't figured that out yet. Right?"

She turned to him and gave him a smile. His heart skipped a beat. He struggled to find words.

"So, how did you get to know each other?"

"At the supermarket," Terrance answered. Cass's curiosity peaked.

"Okay, I _definitely_ have to hear this story."

"I'll leave you to catch up with each other," Teresa said and turned to leave. "I guess as former Clave siblings you'll have a lot to talk about. I'll see you later, then."

And she was gone. Both Terrance and Cassidy stared after her. When Cassidy noticed Terrance had stopped following his girlfriend with his eyes and was now looking at _him_, he quickly caught himself.

"So how long have you two been dating?"

Something in Terrance's happy smile made him feel sick. "Half a year."

"Hm." Cassidy said non-committal and wondered what else he was supposed to say. Thankfully, Terrance changed the topic soon by asking him about their other Clave siblings. Cassidy answered but found he couldn't really concentrate. Sometime later Terrance left to talk to other friends of his and Cassidy wandered through the halls and onto the balcony of the house. Inside, the party continued.

"Hey."

Suddenly, Teresa stood next to him. He hadn't heard her coming.

"Hey."

She leaned onto the railing next to him, so close he could smell her soft perfume. For a while they didn't say anything. When Cassidy turned to look at her he found her watching him already. He couldn't help it. Her face was so close and her beautiful eyes seemed to look right through him. Her lips were soft and sweet and he lifted his hand to touch her hair. It was tangled and twisted but it still felt like silk.

They broke apart to stare at each other, each one breathing hard. An eternity seemed to pass.

"There you are!" Terrance's voice made them jump. Teresa pressed her hand on her heart.

"God, you scared me!"

"I'm sorry. It's late, Resa. Should we go, then?"

"Yeah."

"Cass, it was great to see you! Let's meet again soon, okay?"

Cassidy felt worlds of guilt crash down on him. He wasn't able to look at his best friend, much less at the woman next to him.

"Yeah."

"So, see you!"

Neither he nor Teresa said anything. He still felt her soft lips on his.

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong>

"Teacher, do we really have to?"

Daemon's voice remained calm. "Teresa, I told you you have to learn to work with other Claves."

"But we are good enough on our own!" Jay was on her side, for once. She tried to remember to feel grateful for it the next time he drove her up the walls. Ten and Terrance trailed behind them, each one looking rather uninvolved. Sometimes Rese wished they'd take sides.

"You'll meet this other Clave and you'll get along, Teresa, and as long as you don't accomplish this mission _together_ you'll not go on routine patrols for the next three months," Daemon told her and she shut up. Her face was full of dislike, though.

"Daemon?" A woman stepped from the shadows of the Sanctuary and Rese and her Clave tensed. Behind her came four other people, still hidden in darkness but with the unmistakable air of hunters.

"Anathea," Daemon greeted the silver-haired woman with something almost like a smile. "This is my Clave. Teresa is the temporal leader."

Rese suppressed the anger at his use of the word _temporal._

"These are mine," Anathea answered with a smile. "Cassidy will lead them tonight."

A tall boy stepped into the soft light. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses. He wore a jeans jacket and blue jeans. Teresa immediately tensed.

"You know the rules," both teachers said to their respective Claves. "Be back at dawn."

They disappeared without a word.

"Maybe we should introduce us properly," the boy suggested and stepped forwards. Immediately Rese stepped forwards, too.

"I think we should agree on something else first," she answered coolly. He looked at her attentively. "And that would be what?"

"Who will be the leader tonight?"

Her Clave stood back quietly. His did the same but the boy – Cassidy – only smiled at her. "Maybe we could go with being joint leaders?" He offered.

Rese stared back. She hadn't expected anything like that – partly because she never would have come up with that kind of idea. She gave it a thought.

"Okay," she said slowly. "But we won't take orders from you."

"We won't take yours either, but we know the meaning of the word _cooperation_," he shot back and she felt her ears turn red. She balled her fists angrily. She had known him for approximately three minutes and he had already managed to piss her off.

"Fine."

Behind her, she heard Jay giggle softly. "She likes him," he whispered, too quiet for the others to catch but loud enough for her to hear. Blushing even harder, she threw him a furious look.

"Shut up."

When she turned around again, Cassidy grinned at her with a knowing smile.

* * *

><p><strong>VI. <strong>

"Run! Damn it, run, Mar!"

The little seer tried. She really, really tried. But she wasn't a trained hunter and she wasn't fast enough. A wolf grabbed her, phasing back into his human form, and started dragging her along.

Cassidy made a short evaluation of his situation. He and his five Clave members were stuck in an ambush in which werewolves were trying to abduct the seer girl they were supposed to protect at all costs.

_The Council will be furious._

But much more than the thought on the Council he feared what would happen to the already mentally unstable girl. She had lived with them only for four weeks and already every single member of his Clave – Nadya, Jaq and his brother Jay, Terrance and Ten, were already regarding her as something like a little sister they had to protect. Only now they were fighting a whole pack of wolves, Terrance and Jay were down already (_how the hell did the wolves get their dirty paws on veres?) _and he, Nadya, Jaq and Ten were fighting hard to protect their siblings.

And Marina had been caught.

Screaming, kicking and biting, the girl still wasn't able to free herself from the grasp of the wolf that had grabbed her and now dragged her on mercilessly. A clean hit to her neck made her crumple down unconsciously and he slung her across his back.

"No! _No!" _Cassidy fought even harder, but the enemy's number seemed to be endless. For every wolf he incapacitated another one replaced him. He was bleeding from various cuts and bites and his three remaining Clave siblings didn't look any better.

"_Marina!"_

Screaming wouldn't help them. But it was the only thing they could do. Cassidy kicked at a wolf and, at the same time, ducked under another one only to catapult himself into the air to take out a third. An arrow, prepped with veres, grazed his arm and he flinched at the pain.

"_No!"_

Suddenly, the wolf in front of him crumbled and their fight seemed to halt for a second. Then, six dark figures appeared from the shadows and started taking on the wolves with maximal efficiency. One of them caught the wolf that had taken Marina and soon, the field was covered with furry and human beings, out cold or dead. Cassidy found himself eye in eye with the leader of the other Clave that had come to help his out.

"Thanks," he said as he pulled a broken arrow from his arm and flinched. A woman came forward and pressed something to his wound. The pain lessened almost instantly.

"I'm Cassidy. Your help was sorely needed."

"I'm glad we came in time," the woman said. Her voice was clear and melodic. Her dark eyes mustered him carefully.

"I'm Teresa from Anathea's Clave."

"Thanks, Teresa."

"You're welcome, Cassidy."

* * *

><p><strong>VII.<strong>

Teresa hates days like this, when everything goes wrong. She forgets her lunch at home. She almost misses the bus. Her best friend, Ronee, isn't there today. And then she has to sign up for a club even though she hates club activities. But it's obligatory that she visits one at least in her senior year.

She chose karate.

And now she's here with a dozen other students, waiting for their trainer, and she already sees her afternoon go down the drain. She still has homework to do for her French and her Chemistry classes and she promised her mother to do the shopping on her way back home.

The teacher is late.

Fuming, she stands at the edge of the group. She barely knows the other students – she isn't an outsider exactly but she doesn't belong into a famous clique and therefore doesn't know many others. She doesn't care for being popular. Spending her time with Ronee, Sion and Remy is so much more interesting.

"Hey."

A tall boy with red and golden hair and glasses approaches her. Inwardly, she sighs. She doesn't care for conversations, either.

"I'm Cassidy."

"Teresa."

"Nice to meet you, Teresa. You're in my Chemistry Honors class, I've seen you before."

Somewhat more interested, she looks at him more closely. He looks nice, in a sort of good-looking way girls fall for. His eyes are intelligent, she decides. And man, they are green!

"Yeah," is the only thing she manages to think of. It's not really a question that begs for an answer, though.

"I've seen you with that tall, dark-skinned girl, and her two friends, right? What were their names?"

"Ronee. And Sion and Remy. Yeah, we're friends."

The instructor enters. She's separated from Cassidy by three other people and feels sorry for the fact. _Why? _

"Find a partner and start warming up," the teacher calls out. "Try to touch your partner at his chin. Not too hard, not too soft. The other side, try to avoid being hit by blocking your partner. Switch after five hits."

And suddenly, there he is again.

"Care for being my partner?"

Teresa nods. And smiles.

* * *

><p><strong>VIII.<strong>

Something's calling him.

Cassidy can feel it clearly. Something is pulling him, dragging him, and he tries to resist but it's impossible. He opens his mouth and calls for his friends – _they are so close, so close and yet so far – _but no word escapes his lips and no sound is heard. There is a wall between him and them. He can see them – can see Ryan's grin and Marian's blue eyes and Jake's disinterested face – but they don't hear him.

He doesn't exist anymore.

The tugging and pulling continues and he feels like he's having an attack again. It has happened before but neither doctors nor weirn specialists were able to say what it was. His eyes burn and he is thankful for his glasses. At least, that way, he won't curse anyone.

And then he is swept away, towards darkness.

It's not entirely dark. Cassidy can see something, he can see lights and whirls of time. His long cloak swishes silently. He sees a strange realm he never has seen before and that yet is familiar and then the world cries out in pain and he tries to cover his ears. The screaming is long and piercing, he can't turn it out, can't ignore it. Millions of voices are screaming in fear and pain and desperation and he wants to help, wants to help them so desperately but there is nothing he can do.

Except for one thing.

His glasses shatter. He is standing in a circle with six other children: a demon, a vampire, a were-mage, a mermaid, a seer and he, a weirn, and they are all wearing the same dark, heavy cloak. The scream rises to a crescendo and he feels it in his entire body. They will help those beings in need. Mankind will pay for what it has done to them, will suffer what they have suffered, will die as they have died, again and again and again. The seer girl begins to laugh and they all join her as the world finds its end in a storm of shadows, wind and lightning. Destruction dances all around them in a beautiful display of power and the boy who once was Cassidy feels _joy._

"Sohrem, last chance to take up negotiations."

The male voice is one they know and hatred immediately builds up between them like a palpable thing.

"_You_!" The were-mage (_they all)_ snarls. _"We remember you!"_

They do remember. This man has banned them, has cursed them, sealed them away for thousands of years. They don't know the meaning of the word _negotiations_ but they don't need to. They have a goal and they won't let anything _(anyone) _come between them.

They direct all their power at them man and the two people standing behind him. The two of them dodge, one stands calm. When the storm is over, he falls to his knees, his clothes torn and burned, but he's still alive.

_Why_? They wonder.

It's clear a second later. Behind him, a group of children cowers on the ground, severely wounded and yet there is something in their eyes that tells them (_or him, there is no distinction between them any longer and the boy who's name was Cassidy doesn't exist anymore)_ they won't give up.

"Marina!" A girl shouts. "Mar, remember us! Fight the Sohrem! We know you're there, somewhere!"

The seer girl hesitates a split second before she shakes her head.

"_Marina never existed."_

The hunters continue to call out for their lost friends but it doesn't matter. One of them is half dead already, a tall girl with dark hair. The boy that was Cassidy looks at her for a split second and feels like there is something he should remember. Their eyes meet and hers are pleading.

_Cassidy._

Is that his name? And how does she know it? And does it matter? _No, it doesn't_, they whisper and turn away. Those children will die anyway.

Finally, the Elders of Fate break free as the world spins towards its destruction relentlessly.

* * *

><p><strong>IX.<strong>

"Why are we here?" Jay complained.

He, Cassidy, Terrance, Nadya and Marina were following their teacher down the dark halls of the Hunter's Council-Hall, away from the plain corridors with the soft chairs and wooden tables, into the dark dimness of the Sanctuary. Daemon was leading them with brisk steps, not looking back and yet sure they'd follow him.

"Because it's time you get to choose," was his brisk answer.

Cassidy felt Marina's hand tighten around his. She was four years younger than him, which made her thirteen, but the seer had the mental age of a ten-year-old sometimes.

"It's okay," he whispered softly and smiled down at her.

"It's so cold in here," she whispered back, her voice without fear and full of trust. Cassidy exchanged estranged glances with Nadya. It was anything than cold in the corridors, the flickering candles and lanterns which lit the way warmed up the stone all around them. But probably Marina hadn't meant the air temperature. There was something else in here, something _cold_, and he shuddered as well.

"We're almost there," Teacher said, having read their thoughts. And really, a bright light shone through the darkness, marking the end of the corridor. From the dimly lit caverns of the Council Hall they emerged in a sunlit inner yard. Small stone arcs seemed to grow from the soft moss underneath their feet. They were covered with living flowers and ornaments carved from stone. Birds sung above their heads and the sun warmed their faces as all five of them stopped to stare in amazement.

"This is the Inner Sanctuary," Daemon said silently as he waited for them to recover. "You'll see it far too often in your lives."

Cassidy wanted to ask what his cryptic words meant but Teacher continued onwards, into the forest of trees and stone pillars, his steps unheard. Without needing to say anything, they all followed.

In the middle of the Inner Sanctuary, a circle of people stood.

Cassidy needed a few seconds to realize they, too, were carved from stone. They looked so alive he almost _felt_ them breathing.

"Teacher, are this..." He asked, breathlessly. Teacher nodded.

"These are the Eldest, the first five hunters that existed. From them, every hunter descends. Here we begin, and here we end."

That was when they saw it.

In the middle of the circle, four stone tables stood. On each one, a person was lying. Marina clapped her hands to her mouth. Nadya moved behind her instinctively and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Jay, Terrance and Cassidy closed in, protecting their Clave by drawing a tight circle. But the only enemy there was death.

"Teacher, why…"

Terrance's voice was hoarse. Cassidy didn't turn to look at Daemon. His eyes were fixed on the people in front of them.

"Every Hunter is brought here," Teacher explained softly. "Look at those dead. This is what awaits you. No glory, no happiness, nothing else but a cold stone altar. Here, you can decide. Do you want to continue on the path you have chosen?"

Cassidy's glance still was captured by the dead. One person especially drew his eyes in. It was a girl, roughly his age, her dark hair streaming from under her head in all directions. Her chocolate brown skin was pale in death, her eyes closed and her hands folded across her chest. She was the most beautiful girl he ever had seen. Carefully, he walked forward, not listening to Nadya's whispered warning or reacting to Mar's warm hand that tried to hold him back.

He looked at the girl for a long, long time. She still seemed alive. He wouldn't have wondered if her chest would have lifted in a breath. But her cheeks remained pale and her eyes closed. Her body was as cold as the stone underneath it.

"Cassidy," Teacher's voice called him back. "Since you are the leader of your Clave, you are the first one to make your decision. Do you want to continue down the path of a Hunter?"

Cassidy had to wet his lips in order to speak. His voice sounded calm and clear, though.

"Teacher," he asked. "What was her name?"

"Why do you care for a dead girl?"

"Because, one day, I'll meet her again."

Teacher kept quiet for a long, long time. Cassidy carefully lifted his hand and touched the girl's hair. It was smooth like silk. Finally, Daemon said: "So this is your decision, Cassidy?"

Cassidy only nodded.

Daemon fell silent again. When he spoke, there was neither pride nor anything else in his voice, only understanding.

"You have chosen a path full of Darkness and one day you will be the one to lie here. Welcome to the Circle of Hunters, Cassidy. Wait inside while your siblings decide for themselves."

Cassidy turned around to return into the Sanctuary. He was halfway through the gardens of the Inner Sanctuary when he heard Teacher's calm voice.

"Her name was Teresa."

* * *

><p><strong>X.<strong>

The institute is silent.

Teresa walks down the stairs quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. The old church is lit by candles only, a million of candles that flicker in the breeze that floats through the corridor. The kitchen door is open a crack.

"Hey, Rese."

Clary and Alec sit inside, each one with a cup of hot chocolate in front of them. She sighs inwardly. She needn't have cared to be so quiet, then. Walking towards the cupboard, she grabs another cup and fills it with milk. She takes it cold, though, she doesn't particularly care for_ hot_ chocolate.

"Are Izzy and Jace back yet?"

Clary shakes her head and her red locks fly. "No. They probably encountered another flock of Sirrah, they've been messing around for some time now. Thanks God summer is almost over."

"Funny to see that demons are season-depending beings, isn't it," Alec mused, messing up his already messed-up hair even more. He was handsome in a strange way, tall and muscular and lethal. And he was dating a warlock.

Church, the Institute cat, wound itself around Rese's ankles and meowed. Then, he rushed outside and disappeared in the darkness.

"They're back," Clary commented. Really, a few seconds later, there was a sound of rattling as the old elevator reached the upper floor. Footsteps were almost stifled entirely by the thick carpet but all three hunters heard it clearly: there were more than two sets of feet coming down the corridor towards them. They waited in silence.

Jace pushed open the kitchen door and grinned at them, his golden hair messy and stuck with green slime. Izzy, Alec's and Jace's sister, followed, her black dress torn in several places, but not a bit of slime seemed to have touched her. Two other people came last, two people familiar neither to Rese nor to Clary or Alec: two tall, lean men, one with dark skin, dark eyes and short, curly black hair, one with ginger hair, green eyes and glasses. Teresa's glance was immediately caught by both. They looked wary, like they actually didn't want to be here.

"Hey," Izzy greeted them and slumped down on a chair, grabbing Alec's cup and draining the rest of chocolate. "What's up?"

"How as the hunt?" Alec asked back and reclaimed his cup. "Get your own, Izzy."

She pouted. Jace, in the meanwhile, had sat down on a chair next to Clary and was softly conversing with his girlfriend.

"Boring. Except for…"

Her smile brightened to the patented _Isabelle-Lightwood-I-get-everything-I-want_-smile Rese knew only too well. "Guess who we met? These are Cassidy and Terrance, two hunters from Santa Cruz. They're in NY for a short time. We met them tonight and I invited them to come see our Institute!"

Knowing Izzy, the invitation hadn't been one to refuse. The dark-haired hunter continued. "Terrance, Cassidy, these are Teresa, Clarissa and Alec, the rest of our team!"

Dutifully, the two hunters nodded at the rest.

"Nice to meet you," the one named Cassidy said. His voice was calm and clear and didn't carry his emotions. Terrance, on the other hand, only nodded, still leaning on the doorframe. Clary, as always, was the one to be polite.

"Would you like to drink something?" She asked. The two hunters declined politely.

"I fear we don't have much time to take pleasure in your hospitality," the ginger-haired hunter said and shifted. The seraph blades on his hip gave a melodic sound as their edges met. "But we have to be back soon. Thank you."

"You're already leaving?" Izzy complained and pouted again, something that looked cute on her angelic face and that, as always, made Rese bristle. She was neither pretty like Clary nor stunningly beautiful like Izzy. Nobody paid her a second glance. The two strangers, of course, answered Izzy's smile.

"We must. Please don't worry, we'll find the exit by ourselves."

"I'll walk you," Izzy said but Rese already stood.

"Don't worry, I'll take them." Without glancing back she walked out of the kitchen. Bitterness and annoyance were fighting inside her and she tried to push back both. She didn't want these two strangers in their house any longer and Izzy would just show them around and try to make them stay even longer.

The golden elevator cage ascended slowly and they waited without talking. On the way down, Rese found the two hunters were looking at her. She shifted uncomfortably. She almost felt their gazes like heat on her skin, inquiring and evaluating.

"I apologize for Izzy," she said reluctantly, just to say _something_. She didn't want to explain her friends' behavior and much less did she want to apologize for her. The dark-skinned hunter gave her a short nod.

"It's fine."

The other one – _Cassidy – _smiled at her as they walked down the front stairs of the entrance. It was a different smile as the one he had given Izzy: it was soft and kind and polite and his voice suddenly carried emotions. "It was nice to meet you, Teresa. Maybe we'll see each other again."

They vanished into the soft morning light and Rese was left to wonder why her heart suddenly was racing.

_Maybe we'll meet again._ The words replayed in her head. _Maybe._

* * *

><p>Sometimes a meeting is a prelude.<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN: I like IV., VII. and IX. best, I think^^ Which ones are your favorites?_


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